Donlin Gold Mine Opposition Grows

The following is courtesy of the Mother Kuskokwim Tribal Coalition:

Mother Kuskokwim Tribal Coalition welcomes regional Tribal position opposing Donlin Mine

Bethel, Alaska — The Mother Kuskokwim Tribal Coalition (MKTC) welcomes the recent formal vote to oppose the proposed Donlin Gold Mine taken by the Bering Sea Interior Tribal Commission, an association of 44 sovereign Tribal governments.

Joining a mounting local effort to protect the Kuskokwim River and its tributaries from the impacts of large-scale hard-rock mining, the coalition cited significant concerns related to environmental impacts, threats to the Kuskokwim River watershed, and risks to the subsistence lifeways and cultural traditions of Indigenous communities throughout the region.

“This position taken by an additional 44 tribal government allies reflects what our communities have been saying for years,” said Sophie Swope, Director of the Mother Kuskokwim Tribal Coalition. “The health of the Kuskokwim River and our salmon is inseparable from the health of our people, our culture, and our future.”

The proposed Donlin Mine is located within the Kuskokwim River watershed—a nearly 60,000-square-mile area that supports vital salmon runs and provides food security, cultural continuity, and economic stability for dozens of Tribal communities. Concerns raised by the Bering Sea Interior Tribal Commission include potential impacts to water quality, habitat, and the long-term sustainability of subsistence resources.

The Mother Kuskokwim Tribal Coalition emphasized that the vote represents growing regional alignment among Tribal governments and organizations working to protect their homelands.

“This is about more than one project, it’s about self-determination,” said Swope. “Decisions that affect our lands and waters must truly reflect the voices of the people who depend on them. Protecting the Kuskokwim is an expression of our sovereignty and a refusal to let others decide our future without us.”

The Coalition reaffirmed its commitment to working alongside Tribal partners across Western and Interior Alaska to safeguard the Kuskokwim River and uphold the rights of Indigenous communities to protect their traditional ways of life.

In its newsletter, the coalition wrote:

“The Bering Sea Interior Tribal Commission (BSITC) voted to oppose the development of the Donlin Mine, citing significant concerns about ANCSA 17 D-1 lands, environmental impacts, and cultural concerns.

The proposed Donlin project is situated in a sensitive region and poses risks to public lands and the Kuskokwim River watershed, which are vital to the subsistence way of life of the local Indigenous communities. There is strong concern that mine development would further threaten salmon, which is crucial for the cultural and nutritional needs of the Kuskokwim communities.

The Bering Sea Interior Tribal Commission has voted to stand with the Mother Kuskokwim Tribal Coalition, in commitment to safeguarding our homelands and preserving our rich cultural heritage for future generations.”

About the Mother Kuskokwim Tribal Coalition

The Mother Kuskokwim Tribal Coalition is a collective of Tribal governments and organizations dedicated to protecting the Kuskokwim River watershed and preserving the cultural, ecological, and subsistence resources that sustain communities across the region.

About the Bering Sea Western Interior Tribal Commission

Formed in 2019, the Tribal Commission is a consortium of forty-four federally recognized Tribes working in unity to protect our traditional ways of life by advocating for land use planning processes and natural resource management decisions that reflect our voices and values.